The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-08
GREEN SPOTS IN A BIG CITY.
Where Poor Persons Go to Get Breath
of Fresh Air.

He sat ON park bench and mouthed the
query as the man addressed walked along
scanning the line of idlers. The beggar's
eycs-for he was a beggar-showed no
change of expression as he took the price of
two beers and sidled off The long lines of
benches reaching in curves along the asphalt
walks like the arms of dismembered oc-
topus, were fairly filled with hard featured
men, weary looking men, unkempt women,
children, and all that goes to make up the
idle tide-drift of great city.
The favorite posture for men is to thrust
the hands into the trousers pockets and sit
as far on the edge of the bench as possible,
leaning back and stretching out the feet
Apparently some have the bottoms cut out
of their pockets to bury their hands as far
as they do. Those who object to having
children trip up and fall on their legs will
draw up their feet, cross the legs and nurse
one knee with both hands A man sitting
in the square rarely changes the position he
settles into. The place just left by man
who has been sitting with his feet out before
him con be told readily, because he has to spit
further out on the walk to clear his toes
than the man must who is doubled up
The women sit placidly sideways while
the children race about, get tangled with
every paSser's feet OF lie in the grass and
wave their unadorned legs in the air. Those
who have to do with boarding houses, hotels,
and so on, look if their clothes, before
fading, must have come from such a factory
as made the polychromatic ulster that made
Joseph's brothers jealous Yellow-strapped
canvas shoes, check pants, blue jumper
and last years pearl derby are to be seen
beside an outfit of a battered sun helmet
Prince Albert, corduroy trousers, and red
undershirt. None of this seems incongru-
Gus to the wearors, and sun and wear soon
make all attires look uniform.
One hearty Irish truckman wearing a
high white hat said his horses nose hit a
man at a street crossing, knocked his hat
off, and as the owner would not pick up the
soiled hat be jumped down and got it. He
grinned after saying this, and said:
"Oi wuz thinkin' of last week wan of
thin hot nights. Oh live in Cherry street.
sor, an this noight was that hot inside yez
cud fry fish on the palm of yer hand, am
shure, sor. Me babby was moanin' with
the hate, and | cud do nothin' fur it but
lave it to its mother and go out an lay in
me truck afore the door handy to call an
more free like TO Shape. Whin Oh wuz
aslape Oh dreamed the Liberty statoo come
over to me AZ tux me by the neck, an had
loike to break ME back Oh woke up, an.
begorra, some lads had tn rope off TIL
winch onto Denny Sullivan's truck as lays
up next behint me, an the divils had me
hung over me tailboard. But Oh omitted me-
self an put in tn tailboard, an hearin
nothin' in the house Oh slept agin till morn
in Ne truck is broke now, an Oil not be
doin anythin' till me boss gets her repaired,
to-morTer, mebbe."
He resembled many others in being only
temporarily out Of work. Some are waiting
for a strike to be settled, some have jobs
promised in day or So Many discharged
patients from the public hospitals spend
day or so getting air in the park before 60
ing to work again; others again are idle
through a break down in their factories,
and then there is always the man who is
taking a day to himself. One German
brewery laborer forced into idleness through
a strike said:
''Vell, I'm here because hadt to quit
You see der way it is, if you dond't choin the
union deres no peace NIT dem wat belongs,
ant if you does belongt to nit den you has to
do as dey say. Now, most probably the
bosses will hat all greenhorns, strong young
fellers, by der time anything gets settled. |
means to go by der country and work by
der cider bizness init some farmer"
Sometimes Encouragement makes tramp
of such a man, but not often. Your true
tramp does not raise his feet to walk; he
simply lets his body sway sideways and the
natural oscillation lifts his feet for him. He
often goes half fed because he might be put
to work to get food. Beer lees stale ale,
alcohol or anything with alcohol in it he
takes to lzindlier than park penguin to a
mess of cells. The tramp proper is so dulled
and dirty in spirit as TO be no more a man.
He will carry vermin past any washing
facilities in Christendom. His clothing,
like an office carpet, never wears quite out,
and seemingly he cares less than a wood
chuck for the future.
Tramp steamships and sea-going vessels
discharging their crews send their quota of
men to wear out the park benches. When
a sailor is discharged he is usually nearly
pennileSs because of the advance wages Sys-
tenn in vogue in marine employment The
philanthopist i'll his affairs is the profess
sional sailor boarding house keeper, who
takes Jack to board and lets him roam
about town until q berth can be found for
him for voyage. Then Jacks keeper col
lects his advance pay from the ship, pays
himself, gives the sailor the doubtful bal
ance and lets him sail. More unsettled STILL
if possible, are the lives of shoals of men
around town, who spring up seemingly like
magic, but more likely from park benches,
to sell notions ON procession days, who work
at touting, at cheap restaurants waiting,
then perhaps at a job of moving furniture,
or perchance take to whooping up concert
show. One loquacious chap was a sort of
"Fomt" ward bartender, ''trowed out wild
Desc fellers wot lives on desc odd jobs
gifts dem by hangin' round any place where
dey links dere is biz. An dey hangs till
dey gifts a job or gifts bounced. If dey gifts
bounced dey doesn't care fer de bouncin
and tries agin someweres. We has to have
character writ by de last boss wuked fer,
er else dey all tinl we amt straight"
Regular jouineymen at trades, if good,
soon make acquaintance with enough fore
men in their line to be always with one of
them. Some women who run mechanics
boarding houses have regular communion
ton with employers and get work for their
dodgers; particularly is this the case with
foreigners. The trades unions come in ope-
ration with men after they are collected at
work in beGJ >: have little connection
with individuals IL: of work.
Apprenticeshlp5 of all kinds are hard to
get; then only by personal favor of some
one in power to help boy. The trade
unions bar many apprenticeship, and many
employers prefer to employ foreigners and
retain them rather than train native youths.
All the best help in any line is composed of
people who have acquaintance among
bosses, who employ no agents. but apply
direct in person for work whenever they
happen to be out. The unskilled worthy
laborer is out of place in the city. lie can
earn so little that comfort is impossible. OF
independence he has none. Some employ
eers will take the next man waiting If
laborer is little, by chance, late in the